CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Fire Chief Matt Sullivan says he doesn't think of himself as a hero but, looking at the multiple badges he's collected over his decades of service, we're going to have to politely disagree with him.

Sullivan, 52, will retire next month after 32 years of service in Chapel Hill. His resume includes being a public safety officer, a police officer, a police attorney and a crisis counselor.

"It remains a humbling honor to be entrusted to be one of the primary stewards of our community's safety," he says.

Sullivan doesn't know what he'll do next. He says he will help train his successor.

The town hasn't named his replacement.